E. Attila Aytekin | Middle East Technical University (original) (raw)

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Papers by E. Attila Aytekin

The nascent Serbian state and processes of de-Ottomanization should not be seen as the sole deter... more The nascent Serbian state and processes of de-Ottomanization should not be seen as the sole determinants of the development of urban space in Belgrade in the 19th century. Using Lefebvre’s conceptual categories, this paper argues that both Ottoman and Serbian authorities waged a struggle over the city through the creation of dominated and symbolic spaces, and the capital with its abstract spaces left its mark on the city. Moreover, the Christian, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants of the city contributed to the production of space by their everyday activities. Serbian autonomy was the particular framework in which the everyday life in the city, an emerging nation-state, the reforming Ottoman polity, merchant capital, imperialism and military exigency came together to produce Belgrade’s space.

This article argues that despite the different contexts of the Ottoman peasant uprisings in Vidin... more This article argues that despite the different contexts of the Ottoman peasant uprisings in Vidin, Canik, and Kisrawan during the mid-nineteenth century, the attitudes and actions of peasants in the three revolts were remarkably similar. The moral economy of the peasants played an important role in determining their attitudes to the upper classes and to the state. During agrarian conflicts, the peasants received no support from outside but were well organized, used violence selectively, refused to pay taxes they deemed unfair, tended to radicalize, and preferred to deal with central instead of local authorities. Their preference for dealing with central authorities stemmed not from any naive monarchism, but from their realistic assessment of the local balance of power and a pragmatic desire to bypass it; and from their wish to have recourse to the moral authority of the sultan. The article will conclude that the rebels did not rise up against the Tanzimat reforms, nor did they simply misunderstand them; rather, they endorsed the reform programme, reinterpreted it through rumour, and strove to radicalize it.

Contrary to the prevalent tendencies of 'state-centrism' and legal formalism in the literature, t... more Contrary to the prevalent tendencies of 'state-centrism' and legal formalism in the literature, this article studies the Ottoman Land Code of 1858 not as an initiator of trends but as a product of social change. The Code recognized private property on land, enlarged liberties of landholders, and pushed inheritance rules further towards gender equality. Deeply influenced by the uneven development of the capitalist relations of production, agrarian conflict, and the complex matrix of the interests of ruling groups, Ottoman land law in the nineteenth century unmistakably evolved in the direction of modern law based on the abstract individual and full commodification of land.

The Journal of Peasant Studies, Jan 1, 2008

Although the existence of rural indebtedness in the Ottoman empire in the nineteenth century and ... more Although the existence of rural indebtedness in the Ottoman empire in the nineteenth century and some of its consequences are well known, information about the grassroots structure and causes of indebtedness and the structure of debt relationships is limited. This article explores rural collective indebtedness using two debt registers from the districts of Mihalic and Kirmastı in western Anatolia. By placing these within a broader theoretical and historiographic context, it challenges the conventional notion that the Ottoman state generally strived to protect the peasantry from the detrimental effects of indebtedness. It is argued that the official approach was determined by two interrelated facts: the structure of the ruling class at the time was unstable, and its new components were drawn from wealthy elements who themselves engaged in money lending. For this reason, the attitude of the Ottoman state to rural indebtedness was largely one of indifference, and such interventions as did occur were rare and ineffective.

Changing Work and Community Identities in European Regions: Perspectives on Past and Present, 2011

The nascent Serbian state and processes of de-Ottomanization should not be seen as the sole deter... more The nascent Serbian state and processes of de-Ottomanization should not be seen as the sole determinants of the development of urban space in Belgrade in the 19th century. Using Lefebvre’s conceptual categories, this paper argues that both Ottoman and Serbian authorities waged a struggle over the city through the creation of dominated and symbolic spaces, and the capital with its abstract spaces left its mark on the city. Moreover, the Christian, Muslim and Jewish inhabitants of the city contributed to the production of space by their everyday activities. Serbian autonomy was the particular framework in which the everyday life in the city, an emerging nation-state, the reforming Ottoman polity, merchant capital, imperialism and military exigency came together to produce Belgrade’s space.

This article argues that despite the different contexts of the Ottoman peasant uprisings in Vidin... more This article argues that despite the different contexts of the Ottoman peasant uprisings in Vidin, Canik, and Kisrawan during the mid-nineteenth century, the attitudes and actions of peasants in the three revolts were remarkably similar. The moral economy of the peasants played an important role in determining their attitudes to the upper classes and to the state. During agrarian conflicts, the peasants received no support from outside but were well organized, used violence selectively, refused to pay taxes they deemed unfair, tended to radicalize, and preferred to deal with central instead of local authorities. Their preference for dealing with central authorities stemmed not from any naive monarchism, but from their realistic assessment of the local balance of power and a pragmatic desire to bypass it; and from their wish to have recourse to the moral authority of the sultan. The article will conclude that the rebels did not rise up against the Tanzimat reforms, nor did they simply misunderstand them; rather, they endorsed the reform programme, reinterpreted it through rumour, and strove to radicalize it.

Contrary to the prevalent tendencies of 'state-centrism' and legal formalism in the literature, t... more Contrary to the prevalent tendencies of 'state-centrism' and legal formalism in the literature, this article studies the Ottoman Land Code of 1858 not as an initiator of trends but as a product of social change. The Code recognized private property on land, enlarged liberties of landholders, and pushed inheritance rules further towards gender equality. Deeply influenced by the uneven development of the capitalist relations of production, agrarian conflict, and the complex matrix of the interests of ruling groups, Ottoman land law in the nineteenth century unmistakably evolved in the direction of modern law based on the abstract individual and full commodification of land.

The Journal of Peasant Studies, Jan 1, 2008

Although the existence of rural indebtedness in the Ottoman empire in the nineteenth century and ... more Although the existence of rural indebtedness in the Ottoman empire in the nineteenth century and some of its consequences are well known, information about the grassroots structure and causes of indebtedness and the structure of debt relationships is limited. This article explores rural collective indebtedness using two debt registers from the districts of Mihalic and Kirmastı in western Anatolia. By placing these within a broader theoretical and historiographic context, it challenges the conventional notion that the Ottoman state generally strived to protect the peasantry from the detrimental effects of indebtedness. It is argued that the official approach was determined by two interrelated facts: the structure of the ruling class at the time was unstable, and its new components were drawn from wealthy elements who themselves engaged in money lending. For this reason, the attitude of the Ottoman state to rural indebtedness was largely one of indifference, and such interventions as did occur were rare and ineffective.

Changing Work and Community Identities in European Regions: Perspectives on Past and Present, 2011